Gamblers addicted to Oregon
Lottery machines would get renewed attention under two bills that gained
momentum Wednesday at the Legislature.

One requires the lottery to
balance its mission of maximizing revenue with efforts to increase responsible
gambling and problem gambling awareness. The other gives the lottery explicit
permission to spend money on problem gambling awareness and outreach ads that
direct players to treatment programs.

Lawmakers and speakers at the
hearing before the House Human Services Committee decried the damage gambling
addiction does in Oregon, and laid the blame on the state lottery.

"We're not talking Reno,"
said Rep. Bill Kennemer, R-Clackamas, a key supporter of the bills. "We're
talking Oregon stuff. It has a huge impact on families."

The bills come on the heels
of an investigation by The Oregonian that showed a huge percentage of lottery
revenues coming from a small sliver of people who play electronic slot and
video poker machines – considered the most addictive form of gambling.

House Bill 4040, directs the lottery to develop and
adopt a comprehensive responsible gambling policy. It also instructs the lottery
to work with the Oregon Health Authority to collect data on problem gambling,
such as which communities are most affected, and report annually to the Legislature.

The bill is the brainchild of
Rep. Carolyn Tomei, a longtime critic of the lottery. Tomei, chairwoman of the
Human Services Committee, has tried for years to get the agency to do more to
address problem gambling, but has had little luck so far.

This time, it appears her
efforts may get traction. The bill passed out of committee on a 7-2 vote and is
headed to the House floor.

Jack Roberts, the newly
appointed director, said the governor's office has no position on the bill,
signaling it won't stand in the way. Furthermore, the governor supports House Bill 4028, which allows the lottery to resume spending money on
problem-gambling outreach ads. The lottery had stopped airing those ads after a
Department of Justice opinion said they ran contrary to the lottery's mission.
The bill appears to be headed to the House as well, although the committee had
to wait for more paperwork before voting it out.

Jeff Marotta, a consultant
who worked with the lottery to develop responsible-gambling programs, said the
agency's commitment to them has been "waxing and waning" over the years. The
two bills should make clear responsible gambling programs are a priority, he
said.

"It brings us closer to a
healthier Oregon," he said, "one that will see fewer gambling problems."

Jonathan Eames, a lobbyist
for Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, a Portland clinic that treats problem
gamblers, said the clinic saw "a precipitous drop" in clients after the state
stopped running its outreach ads. "We really do need to make this fix."

Rep. Vic Gilliam,
R-Silverton, who sits on the committee, took a different tack.

"I don't know why we continue
to look at the lottery for a solution," Gilliam said. "I have very little faith
in their ability in the long term -- because of the nature of what they do -- to be
effective. We need to be asking the question of whether we should abolish the
lottery."